New Mexico News

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The FBI is reporting rising rates of property and violent crime in New Mexico that is largely propelled by increases in the state's most populous city Albuquerque. The agency's Crime in the United States report released on Monday shows that violent crime and property crime increased by 6.8 percent and 6.2 percent across the state between 2015 and 2016. Albuquerque saw violent crime increase by 15.5 percent and property crime rise by 13.3 percent.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico has received almost $27 million from the U.S. Energy Department as part of a settlement reached over a radiation release that forced a nearly three-year shutdown at the federal government's only underground nuclear waste repository. State officials and the agency inked the agreement in early 2016 over dozens of permit violations stemming from the mishap at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad two years earlier. At the time, the total $74 million settlement was the largest ever negotiated between a state and the Energy Department.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — State analysts say New Mexico's child protection system is straining to keep pace with an increase in abuse and neglect cases, despite more public spending. An analysis published Tuesday by the nonpartisan Legislative Finance Committee shows the protective services program for children in state custody has failed to meet seven out of eight performance goals. For the fiscal year ending in June, the program missed benchmarks for reunifying children with parents in under a year, the number of children returning to foster care and the speed of adoptions.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An investigation shows an Albuquerque police officer was driving approximately 67 mph in April when his cruiser slammed into a car that was carrying a 6-year-old who died in the collision. The Albuquerque Journal reports that Officer Johnathan McDonnell had emergency lights and sirens on and was able to brake, but still collided with Antoinette Suina's car. Both drivers had green lights. Suina didn't see any cars coming when she started to make a turn. An investigator wrote that he didn't believe either driver should be criminally charged.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas is seeking the resignation of a member of the Albuquerque Public Schools education board concerning her prior role as executive director at a charter school that is under scrutiny for the alleged embezzlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Balderas on Monday wrote to Analee Maestas to say she no longer qualifies for her position on the education board in light of concerns regarding the misuse of public funds at La Promesa Early Learning Center. Maestas has said she was unaware of any wrongdoing at La Promesa.

The widow of Pat Tillman — the NFL player-turned U.S. Army Ranger killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004 — is pushing back against a retweet by President Trump that included an image of her late husband with the hashtags #StandForOurAnthem and #BoycottNFL.

Concussions have gotten a lot of attention in recent years, especially as professional football players' brains have shown signs of degenerative brain disease linked with repeated blows to the head. Now, a new analysis confirms what many doctors fear — that concussions start showing up at a high rate in teens who are active in contact sports.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The FBI is reporting rising rates of property and violent crime in New Mexico that is largely propelled by increases in the state's most populous city Albuquerque. The agency's Crime in the United States report released on Monday shows that violent crime and property crime increased by 6.8 percent and 6.2 percent across the state between 2015 and 2016. Albuquerque saw violent crime increase by 15.5 percent and property crime rise by 13.3 percent.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico has received almost $27 million from the U.S. Energy Department as part of a settlement reached over a radiation release that forced a nearly three-year shutdown at the federal government's only underground nuclear waste repository. State officials and the agency inked the agreement in early 2016 over dozens of permit violations stemming from the mishap at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad two years earlier. At the time, the total $74 million settlement was the largest ever negotiated between a state and the Energy Department.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — State analysts say New Mexico's child protection system is straining to keep pace with an increase in abuse and neglect cases, despite more public spending. An analysis published Tuesday by the nonpartisan Legislative Finance Committee shows the protective services program for children in state custody has failed to meet seven out of eight performance goals. For the fiscal year ending in June, the program missed benchmarks for reunifying children with parents in under a year, the number of children returning to foster care and the speed of adoptions.

In a tiny sliver of shade, on a hill next to Puerto Rico's Route 65, Kiara Rodriguez de Jesus waves a sparkly pink hand fan to keep cool.

"I trust in God," she says. "Please, come the gas."

Along with her family, parked in a Volvo SUV, she has been in line for gasoline since 3 a.m., she says. Now it's after 1:30 p.m. And like everyone else at this gas station, she has no idea how much longer she'll be waiting.

Equifax Chairman and CEO Richard F. Smith is retiring, the credit reporting agency announced Tuesday. The news comes just weeks after the company said a massive data breach exposed the personal information of up to 143 million people.